KSA chair apologises over Dutch market launch issues
René Jansen opens up on technical glitches that caused delays to planned 1 October launch date
The head of the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has apologised for overseeing the early teething issues that plagued the launch of the regulated online market in the Netherlands.
In a blog post on the KSA website following an interview on BNR Nieuwsradio, René Jansen addressed several problems the market has faced following its scheduled launch on 1 October, ranging from issues with the self-exclusion system to deposits.
The self-exclusion system (Crucks) faced technical issues which meant that operators couldn’t register players immediately on 1 October and instead were only able to register customers from 4 October.
Jansen said: “I am really sorry that it turned out this way and I am of course very aware of my administrative responsibility for these start-up problems. We have pulled out all the stops to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.”
Additionally, several operators, including Holland Casino, had issues with site access and deposit processes.
Although this was not an issue directly related to the KSA, Jansen moved to suggest the authority would continue to monitor such problems.
He continued: “As a supervisory authority, we are emphatically keeping a finger on the pulse of this in order to allow license holders to make adjustments if necessary.”
During the interview, Jansen was also pressed on the small number of initial operators to go live in the market, amid suggestions that just 10 licensees are too few.
Jansen said it would be “good” If the market was expanded further to provide greater choice for consumers and noted there will be a greater understanding of the market’s make-up by next summer.
He said: “I think we will have a good idea of what the market will look like in the coming years around July 2022.
“Permit applications are currently being processed and I also expect applications from parties that are in a cooling-off period.”
Operators currently serving this cooling-off period include industry heavyweights Kindred Group, Entain and Betsson.
Finally, Jansen said he would continue to monitor the advertising of games of chance in the country, arguing that a thin line must be toed to avoid spill-over into the unregulated market.
He concluded: “It has been reconfirmed that a very large number of Dutch people are already gambling online.
“You want to play at legal providers that meet all requirements in terms of preventing problem behaviour and addiction. Through advertising you ensure that people end up there; in a safe environment.
“But the line is thin [and] the gaming authority also recognises that.”